Archive for the ‘Healthy Living’ Category

« Older Entries

Obama Health Care Plan - Good or Bad?

Thursday, October 1st, 2009
Quite a few people have been asking me what I think about the new proposed “health care” plan from the Obama administration.  Some people think it’s the best thing since sliced bread and others are scared almost to death by it.  Here’s my take on it.
It’s not a health care plan at all!  What do I mean by that?   I mean it’s not about health. It’s concerned with medical insurance.  Medical insurance is typically used to “fix a problem,” not proactively increase health.  Think about it.  It’s how we were raised.  It’s how we were “trained” to think about health as a society.  If I’m moving around and not in pain, or even if I’m in pain or feeling sluggish, but I can still drive myself to work - I don’t need a doctor.  Right?  WRONG!
You see, with few exceptions, my experience of medical doctors is that their training is absolutely top-notch.  They are SUPER skilled at what they do.  BUT… they are almost exclusively trained to look for and treat disease, trauma, or  some other problem.  They aren’t trained in health care.  They are trained and concerned with pathology management.   I have to insert a comment hear, because I want to be uber clear.  I am SO thankful for modern pathology management!  If I’m in a bicycle race, fall and tear my bicep tendon in half or shatter my pelvis as I’m going down - I’ll be the first one to jump into an ambulance to see what the docs at the ER can do for me!  If you put your foot under a lawn mower, don’t call my clinic.  Call 9-1-1!  But can you see how this isn’t health care?  It’s taking care of an issue after it has occurred.
Health care {!firstname_fix}, in my eyes, is proactive.  It’s staying properly hydrated so your cells can efficiently perform their functions.  It’s consistently challenging your body with exercise so it can become stronger.  It’s resting and sleeping properly to encourage healing.  It’s getting energy work like acupuncture or  qigong to ensure your energy is flowing properly. And it’s getting body work like massage and chiropractic done regularly to promote healthy circulation of blood and lymph and a balanced nervous system.
It’s a simple paradigm shift.  Don’t wait for the Obama administration to fix your health. That’s your job!  Do what you can today to ensure that you don’t need to use your modern pathology management doctor.  They will be there with skilled hands if something out of your control happens but their office is usually the last place you want to be.
As a chiropractor, applied kinesiologist, and health coach I can help you identify simple changes you can make  in your life to truly increase your health and minimize your need for disease management.
To design your own personal Health Care Plan call me at 952-224-2909 or email me at DrChris@VibrantPotential.com to set up a time that we can talk.
Helping you live YOUR Vibrant Potential,
Dr. Chris Frykman

Posted in Healthy Living | No Comments »

New Study Reveals Great News About Chiropractic!

Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009

I just came across some really cool news about chiropractic care that I wanted to share with you.

The health insurance company Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield did a one year pilot study in 2008 to measure patient quality of care, and the results of this study were just released.  What they found out about chiropractic care is very remarkable. They found that there are significant clinical outcomes and health care cost reductions directly attributable to the use of chiropractic care.
What this means is that chiropractic care did a very good job of getting results for patients, and those who used chiropractic care had lower total health care costs.
People using chiropractic care were also less likely to have surgery than similar people in the pilot study who did not receive chiropractic care.
While this is not the first study of its kind, this is the most recent proof that chiropractic care has a profound positive effect on your health and quality of life.  And for those people who choose to receive chiropractic care on a regular basis, they will not only be healthier, but their health care costs will be lower.
This study was done on chiropractic, which is powerful by itself, but think of how much more benefit you receive at Vibrant Potential when you add in nutritional counseling, energy work, kinesio taping, health coaching, applied kinesiology and all the rest.
If you know somebody who’s been struggling with their health, pass this information on to them and let them know that chiropractic care can help them out.
I was recently talking with one of my practice members and he mentioned how easy it is to simply hand his friends and co-workers my card if he hears them complaining about low energy or pain.  He just tells them to give me a call for a free phone consultation.  Doesn’t cost them a penny, they don’t have to take the time to drive in, and often times I can give useful self-help tips right over the phone.
If you have any questions or comments, just email me.  Otherwise, I’ll see you at your next appointment!

Helping you reach YOUR Vibrant Potential,

Dr. Chris Frykman

P.S.  Remember, if you know someone that can benefit from my services but you don’t know how to tell them, it’s SUPER easy to hand them my card and let them know they can call for a free phone consult with your doc at 952-224-2909.

Posted in Chiropractic, Healthy Living | No Comments »

The Truth About Eggs And Cholesterol

Monday, May 25th, 2009

If you like eating eggs, then I’ve got good news for you!

The myth that eating eggs increases cholesterol levels has been busted!

According to a new study conducted by researchers from the University of Surrey and published in the Nutritional Bulletin of the British Heart Foundation, eating eggs has virtually no effect on cholesterol levels.  In other words, eating eggs does not raise your cholesterol level.

The researchers reviewed several different studies on eggs and nutrition and concluded that eggs did not contribute to the body’s cholesterol levels.  Although eggs are a high cholesterol food, the researchers note that only one-third of the body’s cholesterol comes from your diet.

Bruce Griffin, one of the researchers, had this to say:

“The ingrained misconception linking egg consumption to high blood cholesterol and heart disease must be corrected.  The amount of saturated fat in our diet exerts an effect on blood cholesterol that is several times greater than the relatively small amounts of dietary cholesterol.”

“The UK public does not need to be limiting the number of eggs they eat,” Griffin said. “Indeed, they can be encouraged to include them in a healthy diet, as they are one of nature’s most nutritionally dense foods.”

Victoria Taylor of the British Health Foundation had this to say:

“We recommend that eggs can be eaten as part of a balanced diet.  There is cholesterol present in eggs, but this does not usually make a great contribution to your level of blood cholesterol. If you need to reduce your cholesterol level, it is more important that you cut down on the amount of saturated fat in your diet from foods like fatty meat, full fat dairy products, and cakes, biscuits and pastries.”

So there you have it.  Eggs are a healthy and nutrient dense food that DO NOT raise your cholesterol, so enjoy them regularly and don’t feel so guilty the next time you eat them!

Have a great day!

Dr. Chris Frykman

Sources for this story include: news.bbc.co.uk.

Posted in Healthy Living, Nutrition | No Comments »

3 Tips On How To Be Productive With Technology In 2009

Tuesday, February 24th, 2009

At the beginning of every year, people set new goals, new resolutions, and vow to make improvements in their lives.  We’re almost two months into 2009.  How are you doing with those resolutions?

One of the problems people have is figuring out how to be more productive.  And with cell phones, emails, the Internet, and instant messaging, it’s easy to lose focus at work or home.

So in this article I wanted to show you 3 quick tips to help you combat the ‘negative’ effects of technology that many of us fall victim to.

In 2006, Microsoft research conducted a study to try to find out how long it takes for people to return to a task when they’re interrupted by an email or an instant message.

The results were not encouraging.

While the average “task recovery” time was pegged at 15 minutes, more than a quarter of the subjects didn’t return to the task at hand for two hours.

Dr. Eric Horvitz, the principal researcher for and the study’s co-author revealed: “We found that people, once interrupted, take the opportunity to do other things, like check more email. Or go to news or sports pages.”

Moreover, Horvitz adds, when people do finally start working again, they don’t reach their earlier level of concentration for 10 more minutes. Thus, the total time lost as a result of an email or instant messenger distraction is 30 minutes. The disturbing verdict: That’s the best case scenario.

Psychiatrist Dr. Ned Hallowell of the Hallowell Center concurs with the findings of the Microsoft Research study and suggests the following moves to keep you focused and help you become as productive as you can be:

1. Make your mornings count.

Hallowell points out that when people have a “morning burst.” This means they have a rush of energy and a sharper focus. So, as Hallowell advises, do about 60 to 90 minutes of work before you check your email or go online or turn on the TV. He adds: “We should all be ruthless about shielding [this time] from all distractions.”

2. Control yourself.

Instead of checking your email every hour, instead check it once in the morning and once in the evening.  Or try checking it at only 2 or 3 specific times each day.  You should also be just as disciplined with your instant messenger, and use of the Internet.

Learning to ignore disruptions and distractions is crucial to your productivity since it takes so long to get back on track once you’ve been interrupted.

3. Use Your Time Wisely.

Evaluate your Internet surfing habits and Television habits and come clean about how much time you spend doing these things.  Chances are you can cut several hours a week from your Internet and TV time to be more productive doing something else, like accomplishing your New Year’s Resolutions.

The bottom line is you want to use technology, but not be a slave to it.  I’ve heard several experts say that distractions are the number one reason why people having a hard time achieving their goals and being as successful as they’d like.

Don’t let that be you!

Helping you reach YOUR Vibrant Potential,

Dr. Chris Frykman

P.S.  Did you know most people feel more energy after receiving an adjustment?  Receiving regular care at Vibrant Potential will improve your life.  Call me today to set up an appointment at 952-224-2909.

Posted in Healthy Living | No Comments »

9 Tips To Keep Yourself Exercising

Monday, January 26th, 2009

Health is such a passion of mine.  There are many activities that promote great health and vigor.  Chiropractic, massage, “good” diet, positive self talk…  Among the top of the list is certainly exercise.  There are so many health benefits to exercise that one could almost make the argument that if you’re not exercising you must not want the most out of life.   We know that’s not the case though.  Most people that don’t exercise know it’s good and even have good intentions to get it done but fall short of making it a habit.

After reading the following list of tips, if you have any questions or concerns about exercise or integrating it into your life, call me at 952-224-2909 or email me at DrChris@VibrantPotential.com and I’d be happy to talk to you about a plan.

One of the most commonly made, and most frequently broken, New Year’s resolutions is the resolution to exercise more.

People who exercise are healthier, more energetic, think more clearly, sleep better, have delayed onset of dementia…the list goes on and on and on and on and… you get the idea.

There’s also a lot of research into the connection between exercise and happiness - some studies suggest that it provides a real boost, some studies suggest that while correlated, exercise isn’t a factor in making people happier. I’m interested to see what further studies reveal, but I’ve made up my own mind: in my experience, and the experience of everyone I know who exercises, exercise makes me calmer, more cheerful, and more alert.

But even once you’re convinced of the benefits, if you’re not inclined to exercise, it can be hard to adopt the habit. After all, why else do so many people join a gym on Jan. 1st and stop going before three weeks have past?  If you want to transform into a regular exerciser try deploying these strategies:
1.    Always exercise on Monday. This sets the psychological pattern for the week.

2.    If at all possible, exercise first thing in the morning. The longer the day goes on, the more likely you are to get derailed.

3.    Never skip exercising for three days in a row. You can skip a day, and you can skip two days, but on the third day, you must exercise no matter how inconvenient. (If you go more than a couple of days people end up feeling like they’ve failed and then say, “to heck   with it.”)

4.    Give yourself credit for the smallest effort. Give yourself a super easy minimum. Perhaps 10 push-ups. Once you meet that goal, feel good that you’ve done something and if you want to keep going then do it but don’t feel like you must.  Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good. The fifteen-minute walk you DO take is better than the three-mile run you DON’T take.

5.    If you don’t have time both to exercise and take a shower, find an activity that doesn’t require a shower afterward, like yoga or walking. I enjoy a hard work out but sometimes I only have 20 minutes so a walk to the lake and back is just what the doctor ordered.  The sunlight and fresh air do wonders to clear the mind and boost the mood.

6.    Look for affordable ways to make exercising more pleasant or satisfying. Could you upgrade to a nicer gym? Buy yourself a new iPod? Work with a trainer? A lot of people are feeling a real money crunch right now, but exercise is a high life priority, so if you can afford it, this is a place to spend some money if that helps.  If you want a recommendation, just let me know.  I know plenty of GREAT trainers and coaches.  One with whom I’ve recently been VERY impressed with is Danielle Pellicano.  She does a GREAT job, will  spend the time to individualize workouts for you and is SUPER affordable.  Her contact info can be found at her website -  www.daniellepellicano.com

7.    Remind yourself of the benefits from exercising. Whether you’re  more motivated by short-term gratifications like “I’ll feel more focused” or “I’ll sleep better” or long-term considerations like “I’ll live longer” or “If I have surgery, I’ll recover quicker” are more your style do a little soul searching and figure out what gets you out the door.  There are SO many positive benefits to exercise that you’ll be sure to find something to prod you along. ;)

8.    Think about context. If you find it much harder to go running in winter than summer, maybe the real trouble is that you don’t like the cold. (If you invest in some decent cold-weather running gear its amazing how comfortable you can be at low temps) Do you
hate the loud music in your gym? Is your work-out so exhausting that you can’t face the rest of your day?  Set yourself up for success by doing something you LIKE!!!

9.    When choosing an activity, a gym, or an exercise class, make convenience a top priority. Most people are much more likely to go to a mediocre gym near the office or home than to a great gym that’s out of the way.

Apart from the happiness gain you’ll get from the exercise, merely the fact that you’ve kept your resolution to yourself will boost your happiness.

Yours in health,

Dr. Chris

Posted in Exercise, Healthy Living | No Comments »

Drugs, Society and Children

Saturday, September 20th, 2008

From birth until death we are on medication. If we want to have a child, we take a drug. If we want to prevent conception we take a drug. If we do have a child and there is pain during labor, there is a drug for that too.

When a child, a perfect creation, is born, we automatically stick needles in their arm and pump them full of harmful vaccines because we’ve been programmed believe that the strength and power given to each individual at birth isn’t good enough or strong enough.

When the child goes to school, if s/he doesn’t pay attention or conform to policy, there is RITALIN, a class II narcotic in the same drug classification as COCAINE. If your child is female, we can give a drug for menstrual cramps. If your son or daughter is depressed, there is PROZAC for that. If he or she has any ache or pain, then there is a drug for that too.

High blood pressure? High cholesterol? A change to a healthier lifestyle can bring them down, but why bother when you can take the easy road and swallow some more drugs? Chronic headaches? Depression? Fatigue? Always another pill we can take.

Dad taking a dozen pills for the tension of the day, and mom taking assorted pills to lose weight, or fall asleep, or depression. And filling the kids full of antibiotics and cold relievers whenever they get a common cold or flu, both of which the body heals just fine on its own.

Before you ingest your next pill in your medicine cabinet, take a look at your child who is standing there watching you. What messages are we imparting to our children; that drugs are a normal part of our everyday lives? Can we expect our children to say NO to drugs, when we ourselves have a medicine cabinet full of them? Can we expect them to say NO when all they have ever been taught since birth was when there is something wrong, take a pill?

So is it any wonder when kids reach high school or college and are dealing with the stresses of peer pressure and social acceptance that they turn to drugs like alcohol, marijuana, Ritalin, and Ecstasy to feel better?

Who taught them that problems were solved in bottles? Who taught them throughout their entire life that there is more power in potions and pills created by man than the strength, intelligence, and healing power of God, the universe, the source, or whatever else you choose to call it, which resides in all of us?

Isn’t it HYPOCRITICAL to have “Just Say No To Drugs” campaigns when all kids have ever been taught since birth is when there is a problem to TAKE DRUGS?

What if children were taught a different model of healthcare? What if we taught our children a different model? A model that teaches our kids about how powerful their body and minds are, and that problems can be solved naturally. Would our children act and think differently if we taught them that the power to solve their health and emotional problems resided within themselves?

“Dr. Chris is so friendly and is great at explaining what’s going on inside the body. Through my treatments and his GREAT workshops he does, I’ve learned so much about my body. I have a new appreciation for how it all works together. It’s not just about the one pain or injury you may have… it’s how your whole body works together and how to get it to optimal condition. Also, at Vibrant Potential, health doesn’t just mean physical health. Dr. Chris addresses mental and emotional health as well and
explains how they are all interconnected.

I recommend Vibrant Potential and Dr. Chris to all my family and friends because it’s ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS! It’s not just about chiropractic. It’s about a lifestyle!

Maria Lynn Crespo
Bloomington, MN

What if we taught our children that the nervous system controls all functions (including healing) in the human body, and the chiropractic adjustment keeps the nervous system healthy and strong? What if we taught our children that chiropractic care increases immunity by 200%? What if we taught our children that chiropractic care is NOT just for back and neck pain, but rather for optimizing health?

What if we taught children to take responsibility for their health and well being and not expect bottle after bottle of pills to be the answer? What would their self-esteem and confidence be like if they were empowered to believe and trust in themselves? What would you be like? What would our world be like?

Remember, over 2,000,000 people die or are seriously injured from the side effects of medication and over 400,000 are killed by medical and drug error each year. Please don’t let that be you, your family, or more importantly your children.

Listen, I’m not some crazy fringe chiropractor telling you never to use drugs or something. Drugs are very powerful tools when used IN THE RIGHT TIME AND PLACE. What I’m saying is anyone who understands health understands that you will not become healthier by taking prescription medication. Improving your health happens by making lifestyle changes and using products and services that benefit overall health and wellness.

So if it’s been awhile since your last adjustment, come on in for a tune up to reduce the stress and tension in your body. And don’t forget to get your children adjusted too. The benefits for kids getting chiropractic are enormous.

Follow this link if you’d like to see me adjusting my daughter, Emma, when she was one hour old.

Helping you live YOUR Vibrant Potential,

Dr. Chris Frykman

Posted in Healthy Living | No Comments »

Can Chiropractic Care Lower Blood Pressure?

Monday, May 12th, 2008

On March 25, 2008, a story broke on ABC’s Good Morning America about chiropractic care and blood pressure.

A study done in March of 2007 at University of Chicago Medical Center confirmed that specific chiropractic adjustments to the C-1 vertebra in the neck (that’s the first bone in your neck, right under your skull) can reduce blood pressure.
According to lead author George Bakris, MD, director of the hypertension center at the University of Chicago Medical Center, unlike other vertebrae, which interlock one to the next, the atlas (also known as C-1) relies solely on soft tissue (muscles and ligaments) to maintain alignment; therefore is uniquely vulnerable to displacement. Displacement of C-1 can occur without pain and thus, often goes undetected and untreated.

The authors say the improvement in blood pressure following the specific chiropractic adjustment of the C-1 vertebra is similar to that seen by giving patients two different blood pressure-lowering drugs simultaneously. The reduction in blood pressure continued into the eighth week.

At this point the authors do not know why this improvement in blood pressure occurs. My opinion is that any time the spine is misaligned, it alters the function of the brain and nervous system thus causing functional problems that negatively affect your health.
Hint: That’s why chiropractic care can literally help with anything! It’s because it doesn’t treat a symptom, disorder, or disease – it treats the person.
Because of this study, the medical community is taking notice of how powerful chiropractic care can be. A larger study is underway to confirm the findings of this breakthrough in reducing blood pressure.

This is exciting news! It not only shows how powerful chiropractic care is, but it also shows how your body can develop health problems when your spine is not healthy and in proper alignment.

If you’d like to watch the video on ABC’s website, here is the link:
http://abcnews.go.com/search?searchtext=chiropractic%20+%20blood%20pressure&type

If you are unable to view the video, just go to www.abcnews.com and in the search box type in “chiropractic + blood pressure.”

Here’s the link at the University of Chicago Medical center: http://www.uchospitals.edu/news/2007/20070314-atlas.html

Helping you live YOUR Vibrant Potential,

Dr. Chris Frykman
Shakopee, MN

Posted in Chiropractic, Healthy Living | No Comments »

New report that anti-depressant drugs are useless quackery!

Monday, April 28th, 2008

I have some breaking news that I wanted to get to you right away.

A study was just released from the independent medical journal PLoS Medicine.
This study is sending shockwaves through the medical community. It finally
reveals the big hoax behind antidepressant drugs. Through fraudulent science
and clever marketing, drug companies have managed to take a drug that works
no better than a placebo and turn it into a multi-billion dollar scam.

According to this research, taking drugs like Prozac is no more effective than
taking a sugar pill! Hundreds of millions of consumers have been fooled by the
quack science supporting modern pharmaceutical medicine.

The researchers obtained data on all of the clinical trials submitted to the FDA
for the licensing of several antidepressant drugs.  They then analyzed the data to
determine whether or not the drugs were improving the severity of clinical depression.

They found that the overall effect of the new generation of antidepressants was
below the recommended criteria for clinical significance.  In other words, they
didn’t work.

In fact, they showed there was virtually no difference in the improvement scores
for drug and placebo in patients with moderate depression and a clinically
insignificant difference among patients with severe depression.

So what do these findings mean?

The findings suggest that compared with a placebo (sugar pill), the new-generation
antidepressants do not produce clinically significant improvements in depression in
patients who have moderate or even very severe depression.

Given these results, the researchers conclude that there’s little reason to prescribe
new-generation antidepressant medications to anyone but the absolute worst cases
of severely depressed patients.

So if you know anyone taking these types of medications, you might want to pass
on this brand new information to them.

Helping you live YOUR Vibrant Potential,

Dr. Chris Frykman

Shakopee, MN

Posted in Healthy Living | No Comments »

Drugs that steal your energy

Saturday, April 5th, 2008

Do you know what the #1 selling drug in the world right now is? It’s Lipitor,
the cholesterol drug made by the giant drug company, Pfizer.  The drug
companies love these big profit drugs. But there’s a big problem…

What most people don’t know - including most doctors - is that statin drugs
like Lipitor rob you of your most important heart nutrient, CoQ10.

CoQ10 is an extremely important nutrient.  It’s the primary engine behind the
“slow burn” of metabolism, the fundamental process that turns raw calories into
power for healthy living. In fact, did you know that CoQ10 accounts for 95% of
the energy your body makes?  It’s the source of the vital energy and inner
strength that’s been with you since the day you were born.

CoQ10 is especially crucial to heart health. Your heart needs enormous amounts
of energy to function properly - and CoQ10 is its main power supply. Consider
this: if your heart’s CoQ10 levels were to decline by 75 percent, it would stop
beating.(1)

Drug companies continue to overlook this basic fact, even though there have
been hundreds of studies proving how important CoQ10 is to keeping your
heart pumping strong.

The research on this goes back nearly twenty years:

In a study published in 1990, scientists found that lovastatin, one of the most
popular heart drugs at the time, actually worsened heart health in patients
hospitalized for cardiovascular disease.(2) Lovastatin drove people’s CoQ10
levels down to dangerously low levels. And when they were given CoQ10
supplements to restore the levels to normal, their heart health immediately
improved.  Research from a 1999 study confirmed this finding.(3)

Then in 2002, another key review of 30 years of research reinforced the
hazardous impact heart drugs have on CoQ10 levels.(4)

What’s even more unbelievable is that the drug companies have known about
this problem for years. Merck & Co., one of the biggest statin drug companies,
went so far as to patent a treatment in 1989 that would combine statins with
CoQ10 to offset the threat they pose to heart health…and then buried it.(5)

The language of the patent acknowledges the problem, noting that drugs
including lovastatin, simvastatin, and pravastatin keep your body from making
CoQ10. Yet they later decided it was better if you didn’t know that!

    “Dr. Chris Improves my health beyond the adjustments” - Deb King
The bottom line is this: even if you have heart disease, you should consider
staying away from statin drugs. The possible consequences of low CoQ10
levels go way beyond heart health.  Your brain, liver, pancreas, and other
major organs need it to do their jobs.

Instead, talk to your doctor about CoQ10 treatment. Just 100 mg per day has
shown benefits like lower blood pressure, reversed heart damage, and
improved heart function.

You can find CoQ10 supplements online or in natural grocery stores. Since it’s
a fat-soluble compound, take it with fish oil (EPA/DHA) or cod liver oil as this
will help your body absorb it.

Helping you live YOUR Vibrant Potential,

Dr. Chris Frykman

Shakopee, MN

PS: For a supplement that delivers pure, pharmaceutical grade CoQ10 to your
body, I recommend CoQ10 supplements from Nutrition Dynamics.  It’s
available for purchase in my office, so call 952-224-2909 or stop by if you’d
like to try it!

Resources
1 Folkers et al. “Nutrition and cardiac health. A deficiency of coenzyme Q10
is a dominant molecular cause of heart failure.” Journal of Optimal Nutrition.
1993. (4):264-274.
2 Folkers et al. “Lovastatin decreases coenzyme Q levels in humans.”
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 1990. 87(22):8931-4.
3 Langsjoen PH et al. “Overview of the use of CoQ10 in Heart Disease.” 1999.
Cardiovascular Disease Biofactors. 9(2-4):273-85.
4 Barbara Sarter. “Coenzyme Q10 and Cardiovascular Disease: A Review.
Alternative Medicines for Cardiovascular Diseases.” Journal of Cardiovascular
Nursing. 2002. 16(4):9-20.
5 US Patent Number 4933165. Filing date: January 18, 1989. Issue date: June
12 1990. Inventor: Michael S. Brown. Assignee: Merck & Co.

Posted in Healthy Living, Nutrition | No Comments »

How to keep that weight off

Tuesday, March 11th, 2008

Anyone who’s ever lost weight knows that the biggest challenge is often
keeping it off once you’ve lost it!  Most of the research has been devoted
to identifying the habits of successful people in the weight loss game.

However, a new study from the Centers for Disease Control adds to this
literature. It turns out that following a few very simple rules vastly
increases your chance of keeping weight off once you’ve lost it.

Researchers examined data from a mailed survey of US adults aged 18 or
older and analyzed data on:

*The number of daily fruit and vegetable servings
*Minutes per week of physical activity
*Dining out behavior
*Confidence in one’s own ability to successfully follow healthy behavioral
strategies.

Here’s what they found: Eating at fast-food restaurants — even as little as
two times per week –was associated with significantly less success in weight
maintenance.

And adults who consumed five or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day
and racked up 150 minutes a week of activity were more successful at keeping
weight off than sedentary folks who ate less than 5 servings of vegetables
and fruits.

Here’s the take-home point.  The combined approach of staying out of fast-food
restaurants, consuming five or more fruit and vegetable servings per day, and
attaining 150 minutes (or more) of some kind of physical activity per week was
a common successful strategy among those keeping weight off.

That’s a strategy that’s doable, health supporting, and obviously — eminently
successful.

Try it out.  I’d be willing to bet you see some great results.  Make sure to let me
know if you need any help, coaching, or questions answered.  I’m here to serve!

Have a great day!

Dr. Chris Frykman

Shakopee, MN

Posted in Healthy Living | No Comments »

« Older Entries